


Erosion

by withoutstars



Series: Bedrock [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:08:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withoutstars/pseuds/withoutstars
Summary: As Signal recovers from a recent upheaval, hometown heroine Pyrrha Nikos has returned, reeling from a recent career disaster and unsure of herself for the first time in years. Weiss Schnee is too busy for a social life, and certainly too busy for love. Blake and Yang are in their extended honeymoon, but honeymoons don’t last forever. And none of them are ready for the rising threat to Patch, a mysterious organization calling itself Salem.A modern AU based loosely on life on the islands in the Salish Sea. This story can stand alone but is a sequel to “Bedrock” and contains major plot spoilers for the first story.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Pyrrha Nikos/Weiss Schnee
Series: Bedrock [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2176722
Comments: 4
Kudos: 71





	1. Arrival

WELCOME HOME PYRRHA! the banner read. Pyrrha Nikos saw it as she stepped off the ferry in Signal, overwhelmed with memories.

Once she’d driven off the ferry in a school bus, with a small crowd cheering as the basketball team arrived. Another time she’d arrived from the Mistral championship, her gold medal still hanging heavily around her neck. Then there was the time she’d been accepted into the Vytal Festival team. Half the homemade signs that time had included the signature rings of the tournament, recognition that their local girl had made the big time.

Now she was just Pyrrha. No medals to bring home, no uniform to wear, just a tall redhead in a t-shirt and jeans. But the banner warmed her heart.

Her mom squashed the sign a bit hugging her. A few old friends were there: Jaune, bless him, and Nora and Ren, and others from the old days.

“Didja miss us?” Nora yelled, clamping herself to Pyrrha’s side. “Admit it, you missed us.”

“Of course I missed you,” Pyrrha said with a wide smile. “It is _so_ good to see you all.”

And it was. Friendly faces, people she’d known forever. People who knew her not as the icon in TV spots and shoe ads, but as Pyrrha, the hometown girl who occasionally snuck a cheat at the ice cream parlour. People who loved her for who she was, not who they wanted her to be. She sighed in relief.

Patch had changed. Pyrrha had been off island six months ago when a major earthquake had struck, knocking down a few buildings and severely damaging roads and infrastructure. Even from the ferry dock she could see the scars. The old cannery building that once had stood by the ferry dock was gone, levelled by the quake. Earth moving equipment still laboured to fill in a sinkhole. Construction equipment lay scattered all over town, rebuilding facades and laying down new pavement.

Rehab. Pyrrha was familiar with rehab. No athlete escapes injury recovery.

Weiss Schnee was in the small crowd, arrogant and stern as always, with a small smile unusual for her. She gave a little wave. Pyrrha gave her a practiced smile and turned to Jaune and the others. “You didn’t have to come meet me at the ferry, truly. Did you have to take time off work for this?”

“Just taking an off-schedule lunch break,” Jaune said, smiling. “Or extended snack break. Or traded a shift with someone. Or…”

“How long are you here for?” asked Nora.

“I’m not really sure,” admitted Pyrrha. “Probably the summer, anyway.”

“Yay! We get you for a whole season before the next team steals you away!”

“Yeah,” said Pyrrha. Her heart sank but her smile was painted back on. “I’m glad to be here.”

**

Pyrrha always forgot how _little_ Patch was.

You could drive from one end of the island to the other in about an hour. An ultramarathoner could run _around_ the island in half a day. The only town was Signal, and while Signal was busy enough during the summer tourist season, the permanent population would fit in a gymnasium. A high-school gymnasium.

There were no traffic lights. No sidewalks, most places. No highways. No skyscrapers, or subways. No crowds.

It was something to get used to again.

Her mom was nearly unchanged, maybe with a few more crow’s feet visible behind her glasses. She fussed a bit over getting Pyrrha a smoothie and settled in at the kitchen table with her. “It’s good to have you home, sweetheart,” she said.

“It’s good to be home,” Pyrrha lied with cheerful diplomacy. “How’s Dad?”

“He’s well. Still climbing mountains in Anima. I get video messages every day and a satellite call from him about once a week or so. He seems happy enough.”

“It must be odd to have the house so empty,” Pyrrha sympathized.

“I’m used to it by now. He likes the guide work. I’d no more stop him from leaving than I would have stopped you.” She smiled. “He’s where he wants to be.”

“I’m a little envious,” said Pyrrha, perhaps a bit too truthfully. Absently, she twirled a lock of her long red hair in her fingers.

Her mom reached forward and took her hand. “Any word from your agent?”

“No. He says he’s making calls every day, and you never know…but even if I get lucky it probably won’t be until next season. And his optimism is starting to sound a little forced.”

“You’ll find your next adventure. Sometimes it’s good to take a moment and take stock. This is your home, you know. They say home is where, when you must go there, they must take you in. For as long as you need.”

Pyrrha smiled with honest gratitude. “Thanks, mom.”

**

The next morning Pyrrha settled back into her regimen. ( _Why?_ a voice in her head asked. But it was comfortable, and she needed to stay in game shape. Or so she told herself.)

She woke at 7 AM. She made herself a veggie scramble for breakfast with some coffee. Once she’d had a little time to digest, she did an activation series of exercises to get the blood flowing, mostly simple stretches and rotations. Then a set of resistance band exercises, enough to get the muscles warm and her sweating a bit.

Since she couldn’t do a proper shootaround, she’d asked Jaune and Ren to come over for a game of pickup basketball. The court where they’d practiced in school had been damaged and was under repair, but the old hoop in the driveway still worked well enough for a little half-court fun. A rare sunny day in early spring meant that the ball wasn’t splashing into puddles every time they dribbled. It was enough.

Neither Jaune nor Ren were at Pyrrha’s level, but they’d been good enough to be on a championship school team in their day. Playing two-on-one kept it interesting. Pyrrha lost herself in the routine: crossovers, spin moves, in-and-out dribbles, occasional shots from the arc. Jaune had reach, and still remembered all those lessons Pyrrha had taught him years ago about balance and stance. Ren was lighter and faster, with an instinctive sense of movement and a way of being exactly where he needed to be to block shots. On offense they relied on the fact that Pyrrha couldn’t be two places at once, often working both sides of the court to force her to overcommit and get out of her post defense. By the time Pyrrha reached 50 points to their 41, they’d all worked up a sweat. Pyrrha called a break and passed out the water bottles.

“Man, I’d forgotten what it was like to keep up with you,” said Jaune. “I think my ankles are broken.”

“You keep falling for that lowered left shoulder,” Pyrrha said with a grin. “Balance, remember.”

“At least we mostly kept you out of the paint.”

Ren just smiled and shook his head. A couple drops of sweat fell off his long braid. “It’s good to have you back,” he said. “You make us better.”

“What are you two doing for work these days?” asked Pyrrha.

“I’m still with Patch EMS,” said Jaune, meaning the emergency medical service.

“Driving ambulances?”

“Sometimes. Or going out on calls. Or helping out at the medical center. There are never enough people, so if things are busy in the emergency room we sometimes scrub up and lend a hand.”

“Oh, my goodness. The earthquake must have been a nightmare for you.”

“It was for everybody. I actually got a little delayed coming in that night. I was off shift and got caught up watching some kids who’d been playing in the park and couldn’t get home right away. Once we got them sorted out it was all hands on deck for the next couple days.” Pyrrha knew Jaune well enough to translate: _four catnaps in 72 hours before I collapsed and got sent home._ She winced in sympathy.

“What about you, Ren? What are you working on?”

“The usual mix of stuff. I work on the lavender farm a lot. Some evening shifts at Downriggers. I helped a bit at the bakery around the holidays. Right after the quake a lot of stuff slowed down but Nora was working 18 hour shifts for a few weeks, so she made a ton of overtime. These days it’s mostly back to normal for both of us.”

“That’s good,” said Pyrrha. She couldn’t quite hide a sigh.

“You can’t be worried about finding work. Aren’t you likely to get picked up by a team right away?” Ren asked.

Pyrrha’s stomach dropped in panic, but she’d gotten used to covering. Her smile didn’t _look_ forced. “My agent says it might be slow for a while,” which was true enough, “and I don’t know what’s next,” which was even more understated. “I’ve got a cushion but…I have to admit working three jobs to pay the bills while I train feels like a lot.”

Ren shrugged. “My choice. I like the variety. Jaune has only one gig going on.”

Jaune snorted. “Like I could predict my hours enough to take a second job. Fortunately, the pay is OK. But you’re Pyrrha Nikos! You must have enough sponsorship money to keep you going for quite a while.”

“You bet,” Pyrrha said, bravely and untruthfully. “You and Nora are still together, yeah?”

“Sure,” said Ren. Jaune laughed. “They’re inseparable as always,” he said.

“How about you, Jaune?”

“Still single. Not really looking at the moment. EMT work involves a lot of odd hours, so it’s hard to keep up much of a social life.”

“Aw,” Pyrrha told her ex. “You’ll find the right one when you’re ready.”

“Speaking of social life,” said Ren, “remember Yang? She asked after you. She and Ruby are hosting a house party this weekend if you want to drop by. Low key, no pressure.”

“Yang Xiao Long? I’d forgotten she was back in town. They’re still living on their old farm?”

“Yes, she’s split the big farmhouse with Ruby. Her dad Taiyang lives on the property in the old guest house.”

“He’s mostly keeping to himself these days, I gather,” added Jaune. “Oh, and Blake will be there. You haven’t met Yang’s girlfriend Blake yet. She just arrived on Patch a few months before the quake. She’s quiet but sweet. Yang is head over heels for her.”

Pyrrha grinned, an honest grin this time. “Oh, that’s adorable! I’m so happy for Yang. Sure, I’ll come by for a while.” 

**

When Pyrrha was in high school, there was a house party just about every weekend. Not all of them were ragers. In fact, most weren’t. Pyrrha tended to avoid the ones that involved over-the-top drinking, not least because the alcohol screwed up her sports diet. The parties were just a way for people to socialize on an island with limited night life.

The Xiao Longs had hosted a movie night or two back in their school days, but rarely. Yang and Ruby had been living largely on their own at the time, she’d heard, and their father had forbidden them from opening the place up to a bunch of uninhibited high school students while he was away. In hindsight it seemed a sensible precaution. It meant Pyrrha didn’t know the Xiao Long home well. Nora and Ren offered to drive her over.

The old farmhouse was cheery and welcoming, its wraparound porch and entrance outlined in white lights like a Christmas tree. Warm light spilled out from the interior windows, beckoning everyone in from the rain. Pyrrha managed a dignified pace towards the door despite the weather. Nora had no such pretensions and raced into the house. Ren, indifferent to weather as always, stayed with Pyrrha and escorted her inside.

She’d barely made it in the door before taking a charging foul. Ruby Rose barrelled into her at speed and nearly lifted Pyrrha off the ground in a big hug. “It’s good to see you, Pyrrha!” cried Ruby.

Pyrrha laughed and wheezed a little. “Ruby, you’re so strong! I wish we’d had you as a point guard.”

“Come on in. There’s food! And beer and wine, though I suppose you won’t be having any of that. Iced tea? Pop?”

“Actually, a glass of wine sounds wonderful,” said Pyrrha, surprising herself. Ren gave her a curious look, quickly hidden behind his bland equanimity.

The farmhouse’s kitchen was part of an open space leading into the great room, so a natural place for gatherings. Nora was gobbling down an improbable amount of cheese from a spread set out by Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long, all blonde hair and raw physical power, poured a beer for someone Pyrrha didn’t know, a dark-skinned, golden-eyed Faunus woman with an elegant face and a pair of cat ears. Ren joined Jaune at a tablet as they fiddled with the music playlist. Ruby bounced in at Pyrrha’s side. “Hey Blake, this is Pyrrha! Can you pour her a glass of wine?”

Blake was spectacularly beautiful despite light makeup and casual clothes. She looked familiar, though Pyrrha couldn’t place her. Not from the island, certainly. Blake brought over a glass of chardonnay with a warm smile. “Here you go. I’m glad to meet you. Yang and Ruby couldn’t say enough good things.”

“They’re sweet, and so are you. You’re new to Patch?”

“My first year here. I arrived late last summer. The fall was a little bumpy,” Blake admitted, “but I met Yang, so I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

On cue, Yang sidled up to Blake and slid an arm around her in open affection. Pyrrha had to admit, Blake was quite a catch. Yang looked a bit possessive to Pyrrha’s eye, but the mild amazement in Yang’s face when she looked at Blake made it understandable. “Pyrrha still owns most of the sports records at Signal Academy. Small wonder she made the big time. Thanks for coming to visit us mere mortals,” she said with a grin. “How’s your family?”

“You remember my mom, I think,” said Pyrrha easily and quickly, accelerating the subject change. “She’s good! Living the island life. Still teaching. I think she might have been a little lonely. Dad has been off on one of his mountaineering expeditions in Anima.”

Yang shook her head in wonder. “And I thought my family spent too much time being athletic.”

“It’s one of the things I noticed when I first arrived on island,” Blake said. “Most people here are in remarkably good shape, like the people you meet at a ski resort. Maybe because we all spend time outside when we can.”

“I never had any problems training here,” Pyrrha noted. “And as you say, there’s lots to do. I used to get a lot of my cardio workouts on runs along the ridge on the south end of the island, or up Turtleback Mountain.”

“That’s it,” said Yang with a grin. “First nice weekend, we’re doing timed runs up the Giant’s Staircase at Turtleback. Best two of three. Loser buys the drinks.”

She said it with such authority that Pyrrha could _hear_ a gauntlet being thrown down. Pyrrha felt her spine straightening, the challenge flowing through her, loosening her limbs and balancing her lightly on her feet. “Sounds like fun,” she said mildly, with a smile.

“Oh, shit, Yang,” said Blake, looking a little wide-eyed. She’d been watching Pyrrha’s body language. Pyrrha forced herself to power down and laugh a little.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of it that easily, Nikos,” said Yang, full mischief in her eyes. “Blake can’t protect you all the time. First nice weekend.”

Pyrrha was awash in a sea of competitive adrenaline. She opened her mouth to ask if they still had a ping-pong table in the farmhouse when Weiss _growled_ at her phone, like an annoyed bear. Everyone looked at her. “Weiss?” Ruby asked.

“Emerald Sustai,” she said, obscurely. “I’ll be back in a minute, everyone.” She stalked out to the front porch.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. “Business calls on a Saturday night?”

“Weiss has been funding a lot of the rebuilding efforts in Signal,” explained Blake. “Her main competition is an off-island outfit called Salem Holdings. We’ve heard weird things about Salem. Nobody trusts them further than we can throw the island. Emerald Sustai is one of their local reps.”

“I doubt she’d call Weiss directly,” said Yang. “More likely Weiss got some news and had to go deal with whatever Emerald’s latest bullshit is. Salem never sleeps.”

“What kind of weird things have you heard?”

“Weiss’ mom thinks they somehow _caused_ the earthquake, which is insane, but that’s Willow Schnee for you. Salem certainly took advantage of it. They’ve been buying up distressed property all over the island but aren’t re-developing anything at all, as far as anyone can tell. They’re just sitting on it. Which means half of the wrecked buildings in Signal are now vacant lots, and a lot of tenants are having trouble finding places to live and work. They’ve also got some kind of operation on the south end of the island they’re not letting anyone near. It all makes Weiss twitchy. Blake too.”

Pyrrha eyed the door Weiss had just walked through in fresh speculation. “Weiss never struck me as that interested in the local community,” she said lightly, picking a phrasing more diplomatic than _Weiss never struck me as interested in anything but her own status._

Blake looked mildly surprised. “Weiss has been pouring money into Signal since before I got here. Not just money-making stuff. She’s been trying to make sure everybody who got displaced has a place to stay and all the shops have someplace to reopen. She basically supported me for the first four months I was here. She’s a silent partner in my new bookstore. I owe her everything. Lots of other people do too.”

“That’s wonderful,” Pyrrha said, and meant it. “I’m glad she’s been putting her family wealth to good use. Her dad was…not kind to me, back when.”

Yang shook her head. “Pyrrha, I admire you. Your ability to be polite about ahemorrhoidal asshole is something I aspire to. Weiss isn’t her dad, thank the gods. He’s long out of her life. In jail, actually.”

Pyrrha smiled, slowly. “Good,” she said, without elaborating.

Weiss stalked back into the kitchen with the air of a woman mulling a whiskey, an assassination, or both. “Sustai put in an unsolicited bid to buy the bowling alley,” she announced to no one in particular.

“She _what?_ ” yelled Nora. “It was barely damaged! They just need to replace some equipment! And a couple of the lanes,” she allowed.

“I wouldn’t put it past Emerald Sustai to buy it and tear it down just to piss me off. I’ve made it known I’ll match any halfway sane bid she puts in. If she decides to buy it for way more than it’s worth, I’ll let her spend her money and build a new one. What a crock.”

Jaune seemed almost ready to cry. Signal’s bowling alley had been one of his favourite haunts as a teenager, Pyrrha remembered. Maybe it still was. “I was really hoping they’d reopen soon,” he said wistfully, confirming her thought.

“One way or another, they will,” said Weiss.

Pyrrha looked her over with new interest. Weiss’ eyes were blue chips in a face of carved ivory, a mask of icy perfection marred only by a fencing scar she’d acquired. Her high cheekbones and long white ponytail gave her a patrician look that made her seem older than her twenty-four years. When she wasn’t angry, she had the grace of a ballet dancer, but in her current mood she looked more like a white wolf stalking prey.

The righteous anger was familiar. The generosity of spirit was new. Pyrrha wondered what else now lay behind that aristocratic facade.

“It’s amazing to see you so invested in the town’s well-being,” Pyrrha said to Weiss, and was startled to see her nearly jump. “I’m really impressed.”

Weiss took a moment. “Thank you, Pyrrha,” she said quietly. “That means a lot.”

The others exchanged a few meaningful glances. Pyrrha was confused. Nobody said a word.

“Got any more cheese?” asked Nora, brightly.

**

It was still pouring when Ren and Nora dropped Pyrrha off at home.

Pyrrha had always liked the rain. It comforted her. When she was traveling in Vacuo or even Mistral, where the weather was dry and rainstorms were infrequent, she’d taken each rain shower as a little reminder of home.

She made herself a cup of tea and wandered into the sunroom of her parents’ home. The rain fell against the glass roof, cascading down the side windows in sheets. She listened to the sound of the rain drumming the roof and closed her eyes.

It sounded like applause. Like a crowd putting their hands together, a wash of approval she’d likely never hear again.

Pyrrha stood still, listening to the ghostly echo of one more ovation. Away from the eyes of her friends and family, with no one to see but the gods, Pyrrha wept silently for a life she’d lost.


	2. Possibilities

Every morning, there was a single moment when Weiss Schnee was at peace.

It happened just as she was waking up. She’d hear the birds singing, maybe see the light coming in through the curtains, and lie still, just this side of consciousness. For one moment, no one demanded or asked anything of her. There was no _her,_ really. Just a floating consciousness, half asleep in a perfectly comfortable bed.

Then Weiss remembered who she was, remembered all her responsibilities and all her mistakes. The familiar bands of duty and shame wrapped around her chest like iron, even as she vaulted up out of bed.

It was easier to breathe after she’d had her first cup of coffee. The caffeine moved the anxiety from her chest to distribute it evenly across her body, speeding up her thoughts. Just a day, she reminded herself. One day at a time. She just needed to stay on top of everything for that day. She’d worry about tomorrow when it came.

**

Klein, bless him, paused in the doorway on the way to his own office for one of his subtle check-ins.

He wasn’t a butler, not anymore. Weiss had been clear with Klein about that after she’d taken over the house. She needed more than someone to wait on her whims. It was a large estate, complex to run, and beyond her skills or interest to keep up. Bills, supplies, staff for cleaning and gardening, the never-ending repairs, on and on. It was a full-time job, and Weiss trusted Klein with it implicitly.

He still checked on her to see if she needed anything.

They smiled at each other as she waved him on to whatever his next task was.

**

Weiss fitted her headset over her ear and started the morning calls. She had a checklist, written out on graph paper: Tick, tick, tick.

Status report on the Signal rebuilding. Tick.

Update on the people displaced by the quake, and who still needed housing. Tick.

Portfolio update from the markets in Vale, Atlas, and Haven. Tick, tick, tick.

Salem Holdings update. She’d tasked one of her market managers with tracking them like they’d track a business competitor: investments, announcements, anything they could learn. It was privately held so there was little to go on, but Weiss kept pressing. Something had to give.

Tick.

An unwelcome update from her Atlas law firm: her father had been released from prison three days earlier than expected. As instructed, a town car had dropped him off at his Atlas flat with enough cash for two weeks of groceries and a firm reminder he was not to contact Weiss or anyone else in the family for any reason. The lawyers would report if he had anything to say.

Weiss allowed herself a small snarl.

A notification: someone with an access code was coming through the front gate. Idly Weiss flipped on the security camera just in time to watch Ruby’s car pull in the drive. Weiss breathed out her worries in a long sigh and went downstairs to meet her oldest friend.

**

The Schnee house could be intimidating to outsiders. Even Yang Xiao Long occasionally seemed to get lost in the grand spaces or distracted by the commanding view of the sea below. Only Ruby Rose seemed completely at home and at ease. It was familiar, and Ruby’s eyes looked for things besides luxury.

Ruby was dressed in lightweight workout clothes. She set down the duffle bag she was carrying to hug Weiss. “Victory!”

Weiss was confused. “What victory?”

“Pyrrha gave you a compliment!”

Weiss could feel the blush heating her cheeks. “She was being polite.”

“But honest! _And_ she didn’t blow you off this time. Baby steps! She’ll come around.”

“Really, Ruby. Pyrrha is a lovely person, but we’re not close. She’s got her life and interests, I’ve got mine.”

Ruby wagged a finger at Weiss. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. Or her. And she’s the only person you’ve shown any interest in for _years_.”

“In _high school,_ ” Weiss pointed out. “She’s grown up. So am I. And as far as _showing interest_ goes, I’m a busy woman. The dating pool on Patch isn’t exactly deep and broad,” Weiss said. “I’m hardly about to spend lots of time on dating sites.”

“All the more reason to hang out with Pyrrha!”

“I’m _fine_ , Ruby. I’m not going to follow someone around with puppy dog eyes. Especially when they’re not interested.”

“It worked for Yang,” Ruby pointed out.

“That’s different. She and Blake were instantly smitten. You should have seen them that first night. They couldn’t stop staring at each other. I thought Yang’s tongue was going to fall out of her mouth from all the panting.”

“Gross,” said Ruby. She looked at Weiss more closely. “You’ve been on the phone all morning again, haven’t you?”

Weiss shrugged. “Lots to do.”

“You still need to take care of yourself. Come on, get changed! I’ve got something new for you to try.” Ruby held up her duffle bag.

“Okay, okay, give me a moment,” Weiss grumbled, and retreated to her suite.

As Weiss changed into athletic wear, she looked briefly at herself in a mirror, then stopped. There was nothing there she needed to see.

Ruby’s surprise, once they both got down to the gym and warmed up, turned out to be a set of agility and running gear, including a harness. Weiss blinked. “What’s the harness for?”

“Put it on,” said Ruby, “and I’ll show you.”

Weiss stared at it for half a second too long before she donned it. Ruby attached a heavy bungee cord to the back of the harness, then tied the other end to a pile of heavy weights she’d arranged. “Okay,” she said, “now run to that wall over there.” She indicated the other side of the room.

“Run to…”

“Go! Run!”

Weiss started to jog to the other wall. Immediately she felt the harness tightening around her chest, pulling her steadily back towards where she started. The harder she pulled, the deeper the tension became, until finally it was taking most of her effort just to remain in place.

“I am not enjoying this metaphor for my life,” she said to Ruby, as she moved back to her starting point.

“Oh, whatever. Think how much easier your wind sprints will be later. Try again.”

Ruby let up on Weiss after five repetitions with the running resistance strap, then had her practicing intricate footwork with an agility ladder. They traded off, with Ruby using the equipment while Weiss rehydrated and watched. Ruby’s explosive power with the running resistance strap was considerable, as she reached the wall in a few seconds then let herself be drawn back to the starting position with no apparent effort.

“I truly believe your thighs are larger than your head,” commented Weiss.

“Aw, Weiss, you say the sweetest things,” Ruby said, without a hint of irony.

They finished with some partner coordination drills, shadowing each other like someone following their image in a mirror. It was deceptively hard to keep up with Ruby’s unexpected, quick movements. By the time they finished Weiss’ muscles were pleasantly sore.

“You should get Pyrrha to come train with you,” said Ruby.

“Ruby, please.”

“I’m serious! It’d be a great activity for the two of you.”

“Ruby, she’s a professional athlete. You or Yang could _maybe_ keep up with her for a while since you work out constantly. Not me.”

“You work out with me,” Ruby pointed out.

“You’re nice to me,” Weiss said.

“I can be not nice to you if it’ll help.”

“That’s…ugh. Never mind. Let me get cleaned up.”

One quick shower and a change later, she and Ruby sat in the kitchen. Weiss made herself a lunch hour smoothie and gave a hot cocoa to Ruby. “Thank you for coming over,” she said. “I need a workout buddy, or I just don’t stay motivated.”

Ruby grinned. “Pyrrrrrrrhhhaaaaa….” she stage whispered.

“Ruby, seriously, _what_ is wrong with you? You did this before the party too. Why are you suddenly obsessed with getting me and Pyrrha,” Weiss nearly said _together_ , “…into the same room at the same time?”

Ruby tilted her head as she looked at Weiss. “I worry about you. You’re lonely.”

“I am _what?”_

“Weiss, you barely leave this house. OK, it’s a big house. But your social life is me, and Yang and Blake when they’re not honeymooning together. Otherwise, you stare out at the sea and count all the things that you feel responsible for. It’s not healthy. You deserve people who care about you.”

“Ruby…I have people who care about me. I’m looking at one of them.”

“You are,” said Ruby seriously. “And I’ll always be here for you. But I’m not enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love you and I love hanging out with you, but you need more out of life.”

“More out of… Ruby, what…”

“Weiss…I’m ace. You know that. You’ve always known that. I will love you forever. You will always be my best friend, but you need something different than what I give you and we both know it.”

“That’s not the point. I don’t _need_ a lover, Ruby. And even if we pretended I did, Pyrrha has made it clear she’s not interested. I’m not sitting around and pining after her. The woman barely _looks_ at me,” said Weiss, and maybe she let a little too much frustration show in that last sentence. It was hard to keep the mask up. Ruby could read Weiss better than anyone on Remnant.

Ruby smiled gently. “Just let yourself be open to possibilities.”

Weiss scoffed. “Possibilities.”

“‘Possibilities are how we grow.’” Ruby was quoting Weiss.

“That’s how we grow _money,_ you dolt.”

“Nah,” said Ruby. “It’s broadly applicable.”

**

That afternoon, Weiss went for a walk.

She had to admit, Ruby’s comments were bothering her. Perhaps she did spend too much time at home. There was just so much to do, and so few people who she found truly engaging. Her high school friends had jobs and lives. Her neighbours were mostly vapid, pampered fools, sitting on their estates without a care in the world for anything on Patch unless it interfered with their food and wine deliveries.

Weiss needed more people in her life like Pyrrha. Here was a woman who came from the island, who knew and cared for its people. That said, Pyrrha wasn’t someone who’d settled on a rock and collected moss. She’d become a famous sports star known on three continents, seen sights and met people beyond imagination. She had so many stories to tell. But she remained humble, and grounded, and _absurdly_ attractive.

Attractive? Stupid brain. Weiss meant astute. Apt. Able. Acute.

A very cute.

Gods _damn_ Ruby for putting _useless_ thoughts in her head.

Weiss made her way down a winding trail to the base of the cliffs near her home. The trail ended at a sandstone formation called the Maquinna Galleries. Over the years the salt water had carved the sandstone into an overhang that looked for all the world like a surfer’s wave, covering a narrow path an arm’s length above the water. Weiss stood under a cresting wave of rock, looking out at the sea.

Weiss once had ambitions of becoming an artist. One chilly winter day years before, she’d walked down to the Galleries with a plein air box to paint the frost on the stone-carved waves. It went well until a real, icy ocean wave had reached far enough to immerse her feet up to the ankles. Weiss had leapt in shock, missed the landing, and ended up in the surf. She might have died of hypothermia that day if she hadn’t brought Yang along for her cheerful company. Yang hauled Weiss out of the water and bundled her back up to the house, where Klein provided a fire and enough blankets to warm her back up after a few hours. The ice queen jokes had started that winter.

Her father had sneered and said nothing.

Her mother had scowled. “‘Livid in the ice, up to the place where shame can show itself, were those sad shades, whose teeth were chattering with notes like storks’,’” was her sardonic, half-slurred comment.

Weiss shook her head and pushed the memories away. Old distractions.

She took a long, deep breath of the salty air. Exhaled. Took another. Stretched, and worked hard to think of nothing at all for a full twenty seconds.

It almost worked, until Weiss heard a step and turned to face a smiling, confident redhead.

“Hello, Weiss,” said Pyrrha. “I didn’t know you liked the Galleries too.”

Without question, Weiss would have leapt right back into the water. Only Pyrrha’s lightning reflexes saved her. She grabbed Weiss by the hand and pulled her back, steadying her. “Weiss, I’m sorry! I never meant to sneak up on you. Are you OK?”

“I… _gods!_ Pyrrha, I… fine, yes, I’m fine, thank you, sorry, I…what are you _doing_ here?”

“I just came out for a walk. The Galleries are such a beautiful little gem. I hadn’t been here for years. I…” Pyrrha suddenly noticed she was still holding Weiss by the hand. She let go. Weiss’ disappointment was _completely_ inappropriate. “I’m just restless, I guess. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was off in my own world.”

Even in a casual puffy coat and jeans, Pyrrha looked like a contained fire. Just the muscles in her neck were enough to hint at the physical strength she’d been cultivating for years. Her ponytail stirred a bit in the breeze off the water. Weiss took a couple deep breaths. “I often come here to think,” she admitted. “I should have been paying more attention. It’s my fault entirely.”

“Not at all. Truly, I’m sorry.” Pyrrha paused. She smiled a bit. “What were you thinking about?”

Weiss, to her horror, almost said _You_. She nearly swallowed her tongue. “I,” she coughed, “was thinking about my family, and my family of choice. One’s better than the other.”

“I can imagine,” Pyrrha said. “I’m glad you found your support system. And your center.”

 _If I have, please show me where it is._ “You said you’re restless already? No immediate plans?”

“No,” she said with a shrug. “Just taking a step back for a minute. Thinking about what’s next.”

Weiss opened her mouth to ask the obvious follow-up, then paused, looking at Pyrrha. She knew a mask when she saw one, even if she didn’t know what was behind it. Pyrrha was wearing her smiling face like camouflage. Weiss took a different tack. “You’re exploring?”

“Remembering the hidden places,” Pyrrha agreed. “It’s been years since I was on the island for more than a day or two. I’d stop by to visit my parents, but there was always one more tournament, or one more game, or one more sponsor event. There’s a lot of the island I haven’t seen since we were kids. And…” Pyrrha hesitated. Her sudden vulnerability was shockingly adorable. “I don’t have a schedule,” she admitted. “I’ve had a daily schedule since I was 13 years old. Right now, I don’t. I… am not sure what to do with myself.” She grinned. “So, I’m exploring.”

Weiss’ soul and most of her body wanted to ask _can we explore a few places together?_ This, of course, was stupidity and insanity. Instead, Weiss smiled and said “That sounds absolutely lovely. I hope you can take the time and savour it.” Some part of Weiss died, which she ignored.

“Yes,” said Pyrrha absently, looking at Weiss. “Thank you. Yes. It’s long overdue. Especially with beautiful places like this.”

Weiss could _not_ stand here and stare at Pyrrha like some dopey schoolgirl. “You’ll have to forgive me,” she said. “I have to get back. I imagine my phone is ready to explode by now.”

“That’s true, you probably have no signal down here.” Pyrrha paused, smiled slightly. “Maybe that’s a good thing. Sometimes it’s good to put your phone down for a while.”

“You sound like Ruby.”

“She’s right.”

“When I’m out of touch I always worry about what’s happening,” Weiss admitted.

Pyrrha’s eyebrow quirked. “Need to be in control?”

Weiss _did not_ blush a bit and anyone who said otherwise was lying. “Informed, anyway.”

Pyrrha smiled. It wasn’t her professional smile this time; it was a genuine grin, with more than a hint of mischief. “Then by all means, let me not keep you from your…information.”

Pyrrha was going to pay for that exit line, Weiss decided on the way back up the trail. _How_ remained to be seen. She’d have to think about that. _Without_ the first five ideas that came to mind.

**

A few days later, Weiss invited Ruby, Yang and Blake over for dinner.

Weiss wasn’t much of a cook, but there were a few things that she knew how to make well enough for guests. Steaks were well within her limited repertoire. Ruby came over early to help her with the Yorkshire pudding.

Blake and Yang showed up close to serving time, holding hands, looking content and especially comfortable in each other’s space. Blake was moving a bit awkwardly. Ruby looked at her with concern. “Blake, are you—“ she started to ask.

Weiss pressed two fingers into her temple and sighed. Blake looked embarrassed. “I’m fine, Ruby.”

“Don’t ask questions when you don’t want the answers, Rubes,” said Yang.

“You two are disgusting,” Ruby said, shaking her head.

“Wait a minute,” said Weiss. “Blake was working at the bookstore. Yang, you were picking her up. _Please_ tell me you didn’t defile the place before it even opens.”

Yang looked especially wicked. “Would you rather we waited until _after_ it opens?”

“I got done a little early today so went home for a nap,” Blake said, hastily.

Weiss sighed. “And I’m sure you slept well.”

“I’m relaxed and my headache is gone. It’s all good.”

They settled in around the dining table and toasted each other. “How’s your house-sitting gig going?” Ruby asked Blake. Blake had lost her apartment in the quake and had been rotating through a series of temporary house-sitting arrangements since.

“The place I’ve got takes me through April,” Blake said. “After that I’ll have some decisions to make. I’ve been warned once the tourists start showing up it’s near impossible to find a house-sitting gig until the fall.”

“You could move in with Yang and me!” Ruby said. Yang beamed.

“You’re so sweet,” Blake said. “We’ll see.” Yang looked a little crestfallen, though she covered it quickly.

“You make a good point, Blake,” said Weiss. “I wonder when the summer folks are going to start drifting back.”

“Sun texted me the other day. They got some late season snow at the mountain, so they’ve extended the season a little bit. He and Neptune aren’t likely to show up until most of the tourists do.”

“Coco says Velvet is supposed to show up any time now,” said Ruby.

“I never did understand how Coco was OK with Velvet taking off for the winter,” said Yang. “Those two are tight.”

“It’s hard to get photography work on island outside of the tourist season,” pointed out Weiss. “Velvet has a lot of clients for the winter holidays in Vale.”

“Still. Still.”

Weiss looked over her wineglass at Yang and wondered. Yang’s obvious unwillingness to be separated from Blake for more than a few hours at a time was adorable, but Blake had limits. Hopefully, she was good at setting boundaries. Yang could be a lot. 

Weiss casually looked at her phone as a notification popped up. She stopped and stared. Her heart dropped like a stone. She felt nothing but a cold, bitter disappointment. Everyone else grew still, watching her.

“Ruby, Yang,” she said, “I may need back up for this. Come with me.” She stood, abruptly, and stalked out of the room. Everyone else scrambled to follow her — Yang and Ruby immediately behind, Blake trailing a bit in wary curiosity.

Weiss led her little parade to the front door. She stood in front of it like a tiny barricade, waited for Ruby and Yang to flank her, then threw the door open.

Whitley Schnee, her brother, stood on her doorstep, a shit-eating smirk on his face, neatly combed hair now stirred by the wind. Behind him, quieter and angrier, stood her father Jacques. Both wore the expensive “casual” clothes of Atlas, coming off what clearly had been a long travel day, now a bit damp from the rain. An oversize pickup truck sat in the driveway behind them, apparently Whitley’s.

“Hello, dear sister,” said Whitley. “It’s cold and damp out here. Let’s go inside.”

“Under no circumstances," said Weiss crisply. “Leave, now.”

“That’s hardly polite. You said I had a standing invitation. Gave me a code for the security gates and everything. I’ve brought our own father as a guest.”

“Your _guest_ has a court order to stay off the property and five hundred yards away from me. _Your_ standing invitation just got rescinded. Get back in that oversized compensation device and drive back wherever you came from.”

“This is my house,” said Jacques, trying for a dangerous tone.

“It _was_ your house. It is now my house. I have an armload of legal paperwork that says so.”

“I bought this estate with the money I _earned_ …”

“You married into some of your money and earned the rest by being a grifting jackass. You’re also incompetent even at stealing, which is why you were sent to prison and your assets were seized. You now have a rented flat in Atlas. I suggest you return to it immediately. I _require_ you to get the fuck off my property.”

Jacques scoffed. “I wish we’d aborted you before birth. You pathetic excuse for a daughter. You’re nothing but talk and attitude. Don’t cross swords with me, Weiss. Remember what happened the last time you tried?”

Anger was her weakness, Weiss knew. She’d spent years trying to temper it. Use it. Turn away from self-destructive fury and direct her energy into constructive solutions. She felt all that arduous work turning to ash and cinders.

Before she could say anything, Ruby stepped forward. “She’s asked you both three times to leave,” said Ruby.

“We’re not asking anymore,” said Yang calmly. “Last chance.”

Both men looked at the women, diverted but wary. “And what do you two _ladies_ propose to do if we don’t?” Whitley sneered.

Ruby’s foot effortlessly swept across Whitley’s ankles, causing him to stumble to one side. She stepped up in one smooth motion and threw Whitley into an escort hold, standing behind him and holding his wrist and triceps to lock his arm in place. Before Jacques could react, Yang had already popped her fist into his elbow and forced his arm behind his back. Blake silently took Yang’s place at Weiss’ side.

“I wouldn’t have challenged two sisters who’ve been working out with a special-ops soldier since they were toddlers,” said Weiss, “but you were never the most observant people in the family.”

Both sisters frog-marched the two men down the drive, ignoring their curses and threats. Weiss and Blake followed, saying nothing.

Jacques and Whitley found themselves thrust into the rain, just beyond the security gate at the head of the drive. Weiss held out her hand to Whitley. “Give me the keys to your truck.”

Whitley spat and called Weiss something vile.

“If you want to drive your truck back to town, give me the keys. If you don’t, I’ll have it towed in the morning. Decide.”

Jacques, unwisely, tried to take a swing at Yang. Yang evaded easily, trapping his fist and driving him into the mud with his wrist once again twisted uncomfortably.

“Fine. Start walking. The sheriff’s deputies will know to look for you in about five minutes. If you manage to evade them, you’ll reach town by morning. Whitley, you can pick up your truck from the pound. Now _get off my island_.”

Yang released Jacques and stepped inside just as the gates closed. All four women walked back to the house, leaving father and son in the rain.

**

Once inside, Weiss called the local police to explain the situation, while Yang called for a tow truck and Ruby showed Blake how to change the gate codes and monitor the security cameras. “They’ve left,” Blake finally reported.

Weiss collapsed into an overstuffed chair. “That…smug… _shit_.”

“Daddy’s little man?” Yang asked, with sympathy.

“Yeah. I hadn’t heard from Whitley in a while. He was livid when Father went to jail. They’ve always been close. Whitley had been working the lawyers to get Father released early, but I hadn’t heard he’d had much luck. He must have brought Father on island with him and used his access code to get past the security gate.”

“Your father’s broke, right?” Blake asked. “No resources?”

“He is, but Whitley isn’t. Whitley has a family trust too. It’s not worth as much because he’s smug and lazy, but it’s there. Apparently, he’s decided to put it in the service of Daddy dearest. I can’t believe they really thought they could just steamroll in here on pure brass-balls patriarchal privilege.”

Ruby gave Weiss a hug.

“Can they sneak back onto the property?” Blake wondered.

“Not easily. There’s a low fence they could jump easily enough, but there are thermal cameras and alarms. They get triggered a lot by the deer, so I’ll have to tell Klein to take extra precautions. In theory they could climb the cliff from the sea, but I don’t think either of them are in shape for that, and there are cameras on that side too. Still…” She turned to Yang and Ruby. “Tell your father I’d like to talk to him when he has a moment.”

“Do you think they’ll leave Patch?” asked Ruby.

Weiss shook her head and sighed. “No. Not yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Willow Schnee quoted Mandelbaum’s translation of Dante’s Inferno, Canto 32, lines 32-34.


	3. Competition

“They did _what?!”_

Nora looked over her pint glass at Pyrrha in surprise. Pyrrha had been a little louder than she meant to be. “Weiss is fine,” said Nora hastily. “Ruby and Yang were there and kicked douchedad and brobro’s asses all the way back to Signal. If you believe Yang’s version. Blake just smiled.”

Pyrrha was genuinely upset. Maybe it was the beer, she thought. It was just a fruit sour, low alcohol, but still. “I cannot _believe_ they would be so, so… _shitty_. Her own family! What kind of entitled fools are they? How can they treat Weiss with such disrespect?”

Nora raised an eyebrow, probably at Pyrrha’s language. It wasn’t like her. “From what I heard, in the old days at the Schnee place that was basically a Tuesday.”

“Bastards,” muttered Pyrrha. She took another sip, still smouldering.

The Signal Brewery was a recent addition to Patch, only a year or two old. It was a converted warehouse, now divided into a brewing area and a seating area that could be extended out through the garage doors into a patio in warm weather. The air was thick with the smell of wort and hops. Everyone sat at long, communal wooden benches, decorated here and there with little sprigs of lavender. Nora and Pyrrha had claimed the end of one of the benches and drank draft beers from mason jars.

Nora had just come off shift. She’d dropped her electrician’s pouch and tools somewhere, but otherwise looked like she’d just climbed down from one of the power poles in her workwear and heavy boots. She took a long pull from her IPA. “You’re really getting the hots for Weiss, aren’t you?” she said.

“Nora!”

“Am I wrong?”

“Nora, I do not _have the hots_ for Weiss. I’m worried about her. Nobody should be treated like that.”

“True enough,” she said. “Now tell me again about how you’re hoping to talk her into a date.”

“That’s not what I said. I said I wanted to find a reason to get her out of her house. She sounds like she’s stuck at home with a lot of responsibilities. Maybe she’d like to take a walk somewhere. Or go kayaking.”

“Those are dates.”

“A walk together is not a date! A date is, I don’t know, going to a movie. Or a play. Or going out for a nice dinner.”

“You could offer those choices too,” Nora pointed out.

“I suppose I could, but…Nora, stop giggling. It’s not a date. I can’t ask Weiss Schnee out on a date.”

“Why not?” Nora asked in her most practical voice.

“She owns half this island. What makes you think she’d be interested in someone like me?”

Nora stared for a moment, then counted off points on one hand. “One. You’re tall, athletic, and hot. Two. You’re an international sports star with multiple gold medals and a fan club.”

“My agent ran that,” Pyrrha murmured. “I never did see the point. I think he was just using it to keep the advertisers interested.”

“Which brings me to Three. You’ve been in lots of ads. A capitalist like Weiss appreciates that. Four, despite getting the star treatment across three different continents, you’re still humble enough to be asking _why someone would want to date you_. It’s not an act. You honestly want to know. Some days I want to get a ladder so I can slap you. Finally, Five. You’re _Pyrrha Nikos_. The gentlest and most beloved heroine this island ever produced. Weiss would go out to dinner with you if you asked.”

“Nora, half of that is just the illusion sports teams create so they can sell tickets. Most of the rest is the illusion agents create so they can sell players. It’s not who I am.” She sighed. “You of all people know that. You and Ren, both. And especially Jaune.”

Nora looked a little exasperated. “The medals are real. Your accomplishments are real. You can be successful and still be Pyrrha. You don’t have to choose.”

Pyrrha sighed. “It all feels a little meaningless, now I’m back.”

Nora tilted her head in sudden suspicion. “Aren’t you going right back to the routine as soon as another team picks you up?”

“I…” Pyrrha smiled, the mask falling back into place. “I expect so,” she said cheerfully.

Nora let it go, but the look she gave Pyrrha was an open mix of skepticism and pity. Pyrrha focused on keeping her spine straight and her face calm and cheerful.

Salvation arrived, in the slightly ungainly form of Jaune. He placed his beer on the table with care, sat down, took a long pull, then banged his head on the table a few times. “I…” Bang. “Hate…” Bang. “Paperwork.”

“Oh, Jaune,” said Pyrrha. “What happened?”

“Certification requirements. Call logs. Training assessments. Supply stores. Crew assignments. I never want to look at a spreadsheet again.”

Nora winced in sympathy. “Doesn’t EMS have somebody to help with that?”

“We used to, but it’s a volunteer gig. The last one left Patch after the quake. It’s been piling up ever since.” Jaune looked at Pyrrha. “If you get bored…”

“Actually,” Pyrrha said, surprising herself, “I do have some time on my hands right now. But don’t you need, I don’t know, a certification or a license to do EMT stuff?”

“Both, in fact, but this isn’t EMT stuff. This is paperwork for the EMT stuff. All you need is a laptop and a working brain. Which eliminates half of my co-workers. Seriously, if you have a few hours a day to spare for a couple weeks, I can’t tell you how much it would help.” He smiled at Pyrrha in a mix of panic and hope.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Save Jaune’s ass, Pyrrha. Again.”

**

Two days later, Pyrrha found herself at the EMT office.

She’d had to sign some confidentiality agreements, but Jaune had been right about how simple the volunteer process was. They seemed pathetically grateful to have her.

After twenty minutes, Pyrrha could understand why.

Fifteen minutes after that, Pyrrha closed the lid of the laptop, found herself a sheet of graph paper, and started listing to-do items.

Two hours later Pyrrha’s sheet of paper looked like hieroglyphics. She left the building with her head spinning. It was going to be a long week.

**

Pyrrha was three days into her new volunteer gig when she found something strange.

Jaune wasn’t around, but one of his colleagues was, a Faunus who called himself Marrow. She showed him the records from the night of the quake. “Look,” she said, “you’ve got call logs for the whole night, and handoffs or resolutions for all of them—except the calls to the Salem property. I think I’m missing something.”

Marrow nodded. “We had an anonymous 911 call that the quake had caused major injuries at the Salem mine. We were stretched beyond our limits that night, but my crew was on the south end of the island anyway, so we tried to investigate. We got turned away at the gates. They claimed it was a false alarm, which I don’t believe for a second. Any other night we might have gotten some sheriff’s deputies involved but after the quake nobody had time for their lunacy. If they didn’t want help, we weren’t going to force it on them. So, the call was logged, but there’s no follow-up.”

“Not even a ‘refused treatment’ note?” Pyrrha had seen a few of those in the records already.

“Nope. We’re only allowed to take a ‘refused treatment’ directly from a patient, not from a big-ass guard dude blocking our ambulance in the middle of the night.”

“I wonder what they’re trying to keep secret,” Pyrrha murmured.

“Who knows. They keep to themselves, and their No Trespassing signs are no joke. It’s like one of the survivalist compounds. Nobody shows up without an invitation. Even the cops don’t visit. I’ve never been on a call out there. For now, I’d just leave the paperwork open. Mark it ‘pending further review’ or something. The audit people know the score.”

Marrow said this lightly but looked mildly disgusted. Pyrrha had traveled enough of the world to translate this as _Salem paid off the right people_. She nodded and started making her own plans.

**

On Friday, Pyrrha got a text message from Yang Xiao Long. _No rain tomorrow. We’re doing this. 8:30 AM, Giant’s Staircase_ , it read. Pyrrha’s smile was sharp. _OK,_ she wrote back.

The Giant’s Staircase was a granite formation on the north end of Turtleback Mountain. _Nature’s Stairmaster_ , the local tourism board called it. A trail led across a series of switchbacks up the layers of granite towards the hilltop. Some of the trail was dirt. In a few places climbers scrambled up from one rocky shelf to another one, either with a long stride or bracing themselves on their hands and swinging their legs up. You didn’t need special equipment, so anybody could try the climb. The reward at the top was a commanding view from near the peak of Turtleback, looking out across the mountain and down to the water.

Most tourists made the climb in about 20 minutes or so, but there was a small but active community of locals and frequent visitors who timed themselves racing up the Giant’s Staircase. Under 15 minutes was an average time. Under 10 minutes was competitive. A few people had managed times under 5 minutes, but it required extreme athleticism, familiarity with the trail, and a measure of luck.

 _No rain_ in Patch’s early spring didn’t mean _warm_ or _sunny_ , so Pyrrha made sure to dress in layers. When Pyrrha arrived Yang was already there, dressed in running clothes and with a smile as wide as the world. She’d brought her squad as a cheering section.

“How did Yang talk you two into coming out so early on a Saturday?” Pyrrha asked Ruby and Weiss.

“I bribed them with cider doughnuts,” said Yang. “They’re our referees. They’ll be timing us.”

“Should I be worried that your sister might be biased?” Pyrrha said, laughing.

“Nah, Ruby is in it for the science. Besides, Weiss likes you better than she likes me, so it all evens out.”

“Hey!” Weiss said.

“Notice she didn’t say I’m wrong,” said Yang.

“I like you less when you’re insufferable and get me up early on a Saturday. How is this going to work? We can’t send you both at the same time. The trail is too narrow. It’s not safe.”

“You both have cell phones. You’ll be down here. Ruby is going to be up at the top. You’ll text Ruby the _exact_ time we depart. Ruby will note the time we arrive.”

“If I’m going to be at the top, I better get going,” said Ruby, and bounced off.

“No Blake this morning?” Pyrrha asked Yang.

“She said, and I quote, ‘Have fun, don’t break anything,’ and went back to snoring.”

“Sensible woman,” said Weiss.

“Yeah, she’s been working some long hours lately,” said Yang. “I’m happy for her, but I’ll be glad when the bookstore opens. I feel like I’m competing for attention with a baby. The store is baby.”

“If you’re looking to me for sympathy, you’ve come to the wrong place,” said Weiss.

“I know, and we’re both super grateful to you for helping her get this off the ground. I just miss my partner.”

“She won’t always be busy,” Pyrrha pointed out gently. “It’s good that she’s got her own interests. She’ll be there when you need her.”

“Quit being reasonable this early in the morning.”

They gave Ruby a few more minutes, then Yang looked at Pyrrha with a grin. “Ready? Want to set the pace?”

“Any time,” she said with an easy smile. It was pure gamesmanship. Pyrrha could feel her muscles coiling as she visualized the climb.

“OK. Weiss, give her a five second countdown. I’ll follow on in two minutes.”

When Weiss reached “ _go_ ,” Pyrrha headed up the trail at speed. The trick, she knew, wasn’t to leap out like a sprinter coming off the starting blocks, especially with three heats. Keep a pace, keep her tempo, keep moving.

All too quickly she felt her muscles starting to burn. Pyrrha worked hard to cross-train, but she wasn’t used to running on uneven and broken ground. Below her she could see Yang’s blond mane flash as she charged up the trail herself, moving with a cougar’s easy, muscled lope. The sight set fire to Pyrrha’s legs. She nearly leapt up the hill.

Pyrrha was quietly gasping when she made the top but felt strong. “Six-twenty!” Ruby called out with a cheer. Pyrrha rested her hands on her thighs for a moment and took a moment to savour the morning. The lookout at the top had one of the most spectacular views on all of Patch, a commanding view of the mountain stretching out to the sea below. A couple of fishing boats floated just offshore, peaceful and calm in the grey morning.

All too soon, Yang arrived. Ruby took a moment to consult her text from Weiss, then announced Yang’s time: “Five-fifty-two!”

Pyrrha was stupefied. “You won by _twenty-eight seconds_?”

Yang took a moment to catch her breath but wore the same wicked grin she had when she proposed the contest in the first place. “It’s not a basketball court,” she said between breaths. “You gotta _drive_ your legs up here.”

That was it. Pyrrha liked Yang but she was going to kick Yang’s ass straight into the sea. “Best two of three?” she said sweetly.

“Best two of three,” Yang confirmed. They headed down together.

Weiss looked at two of them with a curious smile when they made it to the bottom. “Great time, Yang,” she said. “Pyrrha should be warmed up by now though.”

Pyrrha’s heart melted a bit with the encouragement. “Absolutely,” she said.

This time Yang went first, charging up the hill like she was chasing her demons. It left Pyrrha and Weiss together at the bottom of the hill. Pyrrha felt badly that she couldn’t spare Weiss more attention, but her mind was fully occupied with visualizing the hill and wiping that smug smile off Yang’s face. Oddly, Weiss seemed to understand. She started to reach towards Pyrrha in solidarity, hesitated, then simply said quietly, “You’ve got this.”

Pyrrha launched like a rocket.

She was being reckless, courting injury. Her agent would be furious. Pyrrha would be lucky to get out of this without a turned ankle or worse. In that moment, she gave not a damn. There was no pacing this time. Pyrrha did the entire hill at a flat-out sprint, up to and including vaulting over larger rocks like a gymnast.

“Five-twenty!” Ruby said, grinning. “Pyrrha wins! Yang had a five-forty-eight.”

“Oh, now it’s on,” said Yang. She’d had a minute or two to recover and looked distressingly normal. Pyrrha’s lungs were empty of air, her quads and hamstrings burning. She straightened up, giving away nothing. “Amazing, Yang,” Pyrrha said mildly. “Huge improvement over the first heat.”

“Always gotta take a practice run,” Yang laughed.

Once more they headed down to where Weiss waited for them. “Unbelievable run, Pyrrha,” said Weiss when they arrived.

Yang shook her head. “How easily I lose my supporters,” she said mournfully.

“She chopped almost a _minute_ off her time, Yang,” Weiss pointed out. “You were only a few seconds faster than your first run.”

“That’s because my first run was superior.”

Once more Pyrrha visualized the trail. It was easier now that she’d run it twice. Turn _there_ , plant the right foot just before _that_ root, leap over _that rock_ …

“Help me keep Yang’s ego in check, Pyrrha,” said Weiss. “You’re my only hope. Five seconds.”

Pyrrha visualized wings of fire and flew with the wind.

Yang was ferociously strong and could run the trail blindfolded, Pyrrha reflected as she ran, but her weakness was finesse. If she could, she’d run _through_ rock. Pyrrha moved at a sprint but focused on precision of movement, little economies. No wasted motion, no extraneous actions. On a court she’d be watching the opponent’s eyes, their body for little tells. She’d be faking, bluffing, making the opponent overcommit before driving to the basket. Here there was none of that: only motion applied to purpose, a climb of least resistance.

Ruby’s mouth fell open when Pyrrha appeared in front of her, out of breath, her whole body burning up, but smiling. Ruby rechecked her phone, typed a fast text for Weiss, waited for the reply.

“Four fifty-nine,” she finally said.

Yang wasn’t that fast.

**

They all met up that evening at Moby’s, an upscale pub in Signal known for its fish and beer, recently reopened after post-quake renovations. Blake, Nora and Jaune joined them since they’d all been present for the original bet. Yang cheerfully bought the first round while they waited for their halibut platters.

“I can’t get over how much your times _improved_ after every run,” Weiss said to Pyrrha. “I kept expecting you both to get tired. Yang was consistent, but you kept getting _better_.”

“I hadn’t run the Giant’s Staircase in a few years,” said Pyrrha. “It got a lot easier once I remembered it. Repetition helps.” She looked rueful. “I’m not going to be running any wind sprints for a few days though.”

“I’m so glad you said that, Pyrrha,” said Yang. “I was worried I tore something for a minute.”

Pyrrha shook her head. “It’s _such_ a bad workout. But fun.”

“Why bad?” asked Nora. “I love it. It just drives me crazy because I have short legs. You can reach some of those rocks easier than I can.”

“It’s too easy to injure yourself,” said Pyrrha. “The best workouts are the ones that develop your muscle and conditioning with a low risk of a training accident. One torqued knee on the Giant’s Staircase and you wouldn’t be running for awhile.”

“I suppose a professional athlete always has to be thinking about that,” said Blake.

“Especially a woman. We don’t make anything like the money the guys do so an injury can be financially devastating. Keeping healthy is a lot of what we worry about.”

Weiss looked sharply at Pyrrha. “If that’s the case, why risk it this morning? You should’ve just told Yang to go soak her head.”

“Like that would have worked,” said Yang.

“Blake would have backed Pyrrha up,” Weiss reminded Yang. Blake nodded in agreement. Yang deflated very slightly.

“It seemed like fun,” said Pyrrha lightly. She raised her glass of strawberry wit. “And I wanted a beer.”

“But it was _dangerous_ ,” complained Weiss. “You just said so. If anything had gone wrong it could have damaged your…” and Weiss abruptly shut up, staring at Pyrrha with the air of a realization dawning.

 _Distract her, quick_. “Weiss, I meant to ask you something. I heard an odd story about Salem this week.”

Pyrrha could not have produced a more effective diversion if she’d set off a smoke bomb. Weiss stiffened, her arctic air descending on her like an ice storm. Blake looked no happier. Pyrrha instantly regretted bringing down the mood of the table. She pressed on regardless, explaining her new role at the EMT office, the records discrepancy, and Marrow’s tale.

“So, somebody inside the Salem property called 911, but by the time the ambulances got there they’d gotten organized enough not to let anyone in,” Ren summarized.

Nora looked gleeful. “Can’t let anyone near the alien spaceships.”

“Nora, Salem doesn’t have any alien spaceships.”

“Prove it.”

“Fair point,” Ren conceded after a moment.

“What are they claiming that property is, anyway?” Blake wondered.

“According to the paperwork, it’s a lithium deposit,” said Weiss.

“It’s a _mine?_ ” Jaune and Ruby said, nearly in chorus. Nora nodded in affirmation.

“That’s what Salem claims," said Weiss. "I’ve been assuming they’re lying. If it really is a mine, for lithium or anything else…” Weiss paused. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be there during the quake. Cave-ins aren’t even the worst thing that could have happened.”

“What could be _worse?_ ” Nora asked.

“A cave-in with a flood,” Weiss said. “We live on a rock in the middle of the sea.”

Everyone took a long, grim moment with that visual. Yang emptied her glass and signaled for another round.

“What if we took a look at the place?” asked Ruby.

“Can’t get in from the road,” pointed out Ren. “From the air?”

“The satellite map doesn’t show anything out of the ordinary, just a few sheds. They’d need to look innocuous from the air no matter what they were working on. Too many flyovers by private aircraft heading into the airport,” said Weiss.

“What about from the water?” Pyrrha asked. She felt herself getting drawn into the mystery of it all. What _was_ Salem up to?

“Hard to be inconspicuous if you sail up to their property in a boat.”

“Hang on,” said Yang. “I have an idea.”


	4. Maneuvers

A few days later, Weiss stood at the helm of _Myrtenaster_ and eased her out of the harbor.

Weiss would never admit it to her friends, but _Myrtenaster_ was her private joy. She was a cruising sailboat, just a few years old. She was big enough to sleep four people and sail on the open ocean, small and well equipped enough that Weiss could take her out by herself. _Myrtenaster_ was wider than many sailboats her size, with nearly vertical sides that made her look deceptively low in the water, tapering to a sharp bow that plowed through waves with almost no effort.

Today _Myrtenaster_ had a crew. Weiss stood at the helm, a single steering wheel mounted to the centreline at the top of the cockpit. She ignored her gauges for a moment as she carefully maneuvered past the docks and into the open channel. Ruby sat at the navigator’s station in the cockpit, set low in front of the helm, her attention darting between the scenery and the electronic chart in front of her. Blake and Yang hauled in and stowed the bumpers that protected the boat when tied up at dock.

Pyrrha stood near the stern, taking it all in. She wasn’t an experienced sailor but had jumped at the chance to join their expedition. They’d offered space to Jaune, Nora, and Ren, but all had begged off — Jaune was on call, and Nora & Ren had plans. Also, Weiss knew, Jaune and Nora both got seasick easily. Only Jaune admitted it.

The final member of their little expedition adjusted the straps of her lifejacket and looked impressed. Velvet Scarlatina’s long ears twitched a bit in the breeze, her eyes wide. She’d only arrived on island for the season a day or two before. _Welcome back to Patch_ , Weiss thought with a private smile.

Once out of Signal’s harbor and beyond the barrier islands, Weiss shut off the engine and unfurled _Myrtenaster’s_ main and genoa jib sails. Blake, who’d sailed a bit at home in Menagerie, had offered to work the lines. Blake shook her head in wonder when Weiss showed her the push-button console that controlled all the electric winches. Small motors hummed, lines pulled taut, and the boat began to move with the wind.

The skies were still grey and the wind still had a damp chill, but the weather was otherwise beautiful for sailing. A light southerly breeze filled the sails without stirring up uncomfortable chop, and _Myrtenaster_ rode easily through the waves. Weiss set the boat to beat to windward, heading generally south along Patch’s coast. As they’d escaped the stress of maneuvering through a tightly packed harbor, Weiss could feel her whole body relaxing as she breathed the salt air.

Yang and Blake stayed on the starboard side of the boat as they sailed. Yang was pointing out some places of interest on the passing coastline. Her tour guide instincts never failed her. Ruby disappeared below deck for a while and returned with insulated mugs full of coffee and tea for everyone. Pyrrha stayed behind Weiss on the stern.

“Why don’t you sit at the navigation station for a while?” Weiss asked Pyrrha. “It’s a spectacular view.”

“I’m, um.” said Pyrrha. “Kind of tall. I think I’d have to duck under the sail a lot. Wouldn’t it be hard for you to see around me?”

“You worry too much,” said Weiss with a little laugh. “Just sit on one of the benches. The sail won’t hit you. I promise I can see around you. Go enjoy.”

Pyrrha looked at Weiss with a surprised, warm smile. “Okay,” she said. Weiss watched Pyrrha arrange herself in a loose-limbed sprawl directly in front of the helm, lounging and relaxed, red hair trailing behind her like an open flame. 

This day was getting better by the minute.

As the island began to bend to the west, Weiss kept up her southern course, drifting further away from the shore. After a while Blake noticed. “Sailing around something?” she asked.

Weiss pointed starboard. “That’s a bank,” she said, meaning a submerged area of shallow water. “There are parts of it that are too shallow for _Myrtenaster_ , so I usually just sail around the whole thing.”

“How big is it?”

“Not super wide but it’s long, like a hidden peninsula. It goes a decent distance off the south eastern part of the island. If Salem really does have a mine down here, I’m wondering if they didn’t dig part of it under water.”

Weiss kept an eye on the electronic chart. The helm had one as well as the navigation station. Eventually she eased _Myrtenaster_ into more of an easterly course and began sailing back towards the shore, around the hidden bank.

Ruby suddenly shouted. “Dolphins!”

Sure enough, a small pod of dolphins were playing in the waves. Everyone except Weiss rushed over to the port side to watch them arc over and around each other, leaping and diving every few moments. They kept up the act for almost thirty seconds before diving under the water and zooming off.

Pyrrha’s eyes were wide and shining as she looked at Weiss. “It’s the one time I wish I had a power boat,” Weiss said. “The dolphins like to play in the wake of the fast boats. _Myrtenaster_ is quick but she’s not _that_ quick.”

“I’ve seen them from the ferry but never so close,” said Pyrrha.

“It’s one of the reasons I love sailing. You see stuff out here you just can’t imagine. I love the quiet too. No engine, just you, the birds, the water, and the wind.”

Pyrrha’s smile was soft. “It’s good to see you relax.”

Weiss couldn’t argue the point, but she did feel herself sharpen as she looked over at the shore. “Tell Velvet we’re almost there.”

Pyrrha sighed quietly but went below to find Velvet, who’d been unpacking her equipment. In a few moments they returned with Velvet’s prize: a pro-grade camera with a 600mm zoom lens and a small tripod.

Yang had suggested it. “Velvet’s back in town this week,” she’d said over beers, “and she’s got that wildlife photography rig. What if she took some long lens photos from the water? We could stay away from shore and still maybe learn something.”

Weiss had nodded thoughtfully but given Blake a glance. Blake was camera-shy to an almost painful degree, though she seemed to be getting easier with them the longer she was on Patch. Yang looked at Blake as well, but Blake had smiled in reassurance. “Velvet knows not to take photos of me,” she said. “I’ll be OK.”

Velvet, once she arrived on island, had agreed readily enough, especially with the incentive of a free sailing day. She did have a couple of cautions. “These photos aren’t going to be especially artistic,” she’d explained, “especially in the middle of the day. Since we don’t really know what the subject of the photo is, we’ll have to pretend we’re taking photos on Mars. Just fire off lots of frames for a detailed panorama we can stitch together so we can figure out what we’re looking at later.”

“You’re a genius, Velvet,” Weiss had said.

“A technician,” she’d said. “But I’m a good technician. Photography is science as much as art. We’ll find some good data for you to work with.”

Now, on the water, Weiss assumed that they were being observed. At her direction, Pyrrha, Blake, Ruby, and Yang all gathered around the navigation station to start a cheerful conversation. Velvet laid flat between them all, partly hidden by their bodies from distant observers. She adjusted her camera rig and began firing off rapid-fire frames like a sports photographer.

For a few minutes nothing more happened, then Velvet suddenly became more alert. “Huh.”

“What is it?” asked Blake.

“I’m starting to see little flashes from the top of the ridge. Like the sun reflecting off a pair of binoculars, pointed at us.”

Weiss’ blood went cold. “Or a sniper’s scope.”

Everyone else looked at Weiss with varying degrees of skepticism. “Really?” said Yang, nothing in her tone.

“I’m not taking chances. We’re leaving. Coming about,” she said as she hauled the helm to port. Everyone standing ducked out of the way of the swinging sail.

With the wind rising from the southwest, the sails filled and billowed above _Myrtenaster,_ bringing her to a nearly ten knot cruise. Weiss aimed for the southern tip of Salmon Bank, heading back towards the eastern side of the island and Signal.

After a few minutes Yang looked aft. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said flatly.

“What is it?” asked Weiss.

“We have a tail.”

Weiss twisted around and squinted into the distance. Sure enough, a rigid inflatable boat was following in their wake. “Keep an eye on them and let me know if they get closer,” ordered Weiss.

“It could just be a whale watching boat,” said Ruby.

“Too small.”

“Can we go through the bank and avoid them?” wondered Pyrrha.

“They’re much faster and can go in more shallow water than _Myrtenaster_ ,” she said. “If they really want to catch up with us, there’s not much we can do about it.”

“Are you saying they’re _pirates?”_ asked Pyrrha in wonder.

“If they tried to attack us here in open water it really would be piracy,” said Weiss, “but I can’t believe they’d be that obvious. They’re probably just messing with us. All the same…everybody get below. No sense in giving them lots of visible targets.”

“I am _not_ leaving you alone up here,” said Yang. “I get seasick below deck anyway.”

“Fine. Everybody else, get below. Ruby,” Weiss said, seeing rebellion on her best friend’s face, “ _don’t argue_. If Salem does something truly stupid, you’re the last line of defence.”

Velvet and Blake were happy enough to climb down into the cabin. Ruby followed more reluctantly. “You’ve been at the helm since we left Signal,” she said pointedly to Weiss. “Let me know when you need me to spell you.”

“Pyrrha, go with Ruby and the others,” Weiss ordered.

“Weiss…” Pyrrha began, looking distressed.

“You’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you. Let me stay with you.”

Weiss’ heart warmed a bit with Pyrrha’s concern, but she had no time. “Pyrrha, on land you can always argue with me. Not on my boat. Go with Ruby.” She added, with more heartfelt energy than she intended, “ _Please.”_

Pyrrha’s bright red hair was a pennant that would draw the eye of any observer. Weiss’ spiralling imagination pictured a rifleman on the inflatable boat taking aim, finding that easy target, sending a 7.62 round directly into that beautiful _no, absolutely not, not while I draw breath_. She forced herself to smile easily, though she wasn’t sure how successful her attempt was. “I promise it’s a nice cabin,” she said. “Very comfortable.”

With extreme reluctance, Pyrrha moved to the cabin door. As she eased herself down the ladder, she looked Weiss in the eye. “You _will_ stay safe,” she said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Always,” Weiss said, forcing an icy confidence she did not feel. The cabin door shut on Pyrrha’s deep unhappiness.

Weiss wrenched her attention to her navigation. Once her chart showed she’d passed the tip of the bank, she turned the boat northeast, letting the sails catch the fair wind. _Myrtenaster_ flew forward, with no sound but the sails creaking and the lapping of the waves.

Yang kept an eye on the other boat. “I don’t think they’re coming closer,” she said after a while. “Just pacing us.”

“They really are a tail, then,” said Weiss. “Nobody drives an inflatable boat in open water at ten knots.”

“At least they’re trying not to spook us,” said Yang.

“Too late.”

They continued their odd, slow motion chase northward along the island coast. Weiss’ feet were starting to hurt from spending so long standing at the helm, not that she planned to tell anyone. The sun stayed behind the clouds, but the bright glare had Weiss don a pair of dark lenses to ease her eyes.

As they approached the barrier islands outside Signal’s harbor, other sailboats and fishing boats began to appear. “They’re leaving,” Yang suddenly announced, and it was true: the inflatable boat had turned south, heading back to wherever it had come from.

Weiss shook her head silently. Most of her brain was working out elaborate curses, but she spared enough attention to give Yang a nod of approval to let everyone back on deck. The others emerged. Ruby was annoyed and unhappy. Blake and Velvet were wary. Pyrrha looked over Weiss from head to toe like she was taking a detailed inventory. “A scare tactic,” she finally said.

“Apparently,” said Weiss.

“I think I got some decent shots,” announced Velvet. “I won’t know until I have a chance to download them to my laptop and process them, but we might learn something.”

“Let’s hope so,” sighed Weiss. “And Velvet — thank you. Thank you all. I’m grateful. I never expected Salem to chase us around in open water.”

“Your sailboat is lovely,” Pyrrha observed, “but it does command attention.”

 _So do you,_ Weiss thought, as she started to furl the sails.

**

A few days later, Weiss went to see Taiyang Xiao Long.

The farmstead he shared with Yang and Ruby had once covered quite a few acres, but parts of it had been sold off over the years. The old barn was gone, replaced with the smaller house and workshop where Taiyang lived. They were down to about six acres of arable land. Most of it was left wild, but Taiyang had been experimenting with growing a small vineyard. Weiss found Taiyang working on the vineyard’s irrigation system.

“Every winter I empty the pipes,” he said to her as she approached, “and every spring I fill them, and every time I find eight new leaks. It’s like the island is getting revenge for using too much well water.”

“It’s a pity we can’t spread the rain out a bit more,” said Weiss. “You wouldn’t have to worry about watering if it would rain more in the summer.”

“It’s a small price to pay for endless summer sunshine. One second.”

Taiyang finished with the fitting he was working on and stood up. “That’ll hold for the moment. I’ll bury the pipe later. Come on, let’s find something warm to drink.”

He was a little more stooped than he used to be, but Taiyang moved easily enough as they walked back to his house. He still had the broad shoulders and muscled build of his active-duty days, maybe with a bit more softness around the middle than he’d had when younger. Yang had said he was starting to show signs of arthritis, but he concealed them well.

Taiyang was one of the few people on Remnant who could intimidate Weiss, but he never had. Taiyang had treated Weiss with nothing but kindness and respect from the day they’d met. Weiss cringed inwardly at the memory of one of the worst days of her life, but Taiyang’s warm, confident smile had been a comfort then. It was the same smile he gave her now as he handed her a coffee in a battered mug from a long-ago fishing tournament.

“So,” he said. “What happened?”

Weiss told him about her father and brother’s visit, holding nothing back. Taiyang listened and said nothing until she wound down.

“Yang and Ruby told me a bit about that night,” he finally commented. “I’m glad you three didn’t let them have their truck back right away. They could have done some damage with it.”

Weiss inclined her head with an acknowledging frown.

“I don’t get the sense that any of this was planned, exactly,” said Taiyang.

“Hardly,” she said. “Father doesn’t think, he acts. Whitley enables him because he idolizes him.” She sighed. “I should have let the estate get sold and bought something else. Maybe Father would have left me alone.”

“I doubt it,” Taiyang said quietly.

“No.” Weiss sighed. “You’re right. It’s not just the house he thinks he owns.”

“How can I help?”

“It’s just me and Klein at the house, most of the time,” said Weiss. “The cops will come if I call them, but…not quickly. We need to be able to keep my father and Whitley out even if Ruby and Yang aren’t around.”

“You want me to take a look at your security systems?”

She nodded. “Please.”

“I can do that,” said Taiyang after a moment. “What about when you’re not home?”

“They would never have the courage to try anything in front of witnesses. I’m safe enough in Signal or most other places on the island.”

“As long as you’re not alone,” pointed out Taiyang. “I’d make sure you keep some friends around whenever you’re out. Don’t get into any patterns — make sure you vary the times when you decide to visit Signal, for instance. Stay in public places where you can.” He paused. “Do you want me to pay your father a visit?”

“That won’t be necessary,” she said hastily. Taiyang wasn’t foolish enough to hurt Jacques unprovoked, but her father was easily stupid enough to provoke him. It had happened once.

“Okay,” he said, nothing in his voice. “I’ll come to your place tomorrow and let you know if I see anything that should be shored up.”

“Thank you, Taiyang,” said Weiss. “Let me know what I owe you.”

“That’s not how we do things, and you know it.”

Weiss sighed, looking at the parent who had opened his home to her after she’d fled her family. “I’ll add it to the list.”

**

The next morning, after an especially aggravating call, Weiss found herself seized by an idea she’d been half-considering since their sailing day.

She needed Pyrrha’s number, Weiss realized. Who would have it? Yang and Ruby, but the thought of their silly smiles was painful. Nora, of course, but Weiss winced at the innuendos and stupidity she’d have to endure. Ren was just as bad, more subtle, and less easily distracted. She settled for texting Jaune, who sent her Pyrrha’s contact without comment. Blessed man.

Weiss found herself staring at her phone for a while.

 _Pyrrha, this is Weiss,_ she typed _. I have a business proposition for you. Can we get some coffee to discuss?_

No. Too distant.

_Hello Pyrrha. It’s Weiss. I got inspired by something this morning and had an idea. Can we chat?_

Too vague. Might lead Pyrrha to think this was a purely social call. That would be bad. Clearly.

_Hi Pyrrha, this is Weiss. I was thinking of you this morning and_

No. No, no. No. Damn it. No.

_Hey Pyrrha, this is Weiss. I had an idea of something we could do together to help Signal. Can we talk? In person?_

Before she could think about it any further, Weiss hit Send. Then she stuffed her phone under a notebook and started to get up for a cup of tea.

She heard a muffled buzz.

 _Sounds interesting. I’d love to chat. LMK when and where_ , the text read.

“Good,” said Weiss to the air. “Yes. Excellent. Very good. Perfect. Okay.”

**

Pyrrha could sit at a table and talk with someone politely enough, but you could tell it drove her a little crazy. The chair never seemed to quite fit. The table always seemed too small for her legs. Often her attention seemed to wander a bit. This wouldn’t do. Weiss needed Pyrrha happy and alert.

So, Weiss suggested a walk.

They met at Goldstream Park on the northwestern side of the island, a spot not too far from Weiss’ home. Goldstream had no gold in it, despite the optimism of a prospector about a century back, but did have a beautiful walking trail along a creek rushing with water cascading down from the top of Turtleback Mountain.

A giant boulder sat precariously at the head of the trail, more than three times as tall as Pyrrha, covered in moss. It was one of the erratics, dropped randomly a few thousand years earlier by a receding glacier. Weiss wondered idly where the rock had started before a massive river of ice grabbed it and carried it to Patch.

Pyrrha seemed oddly glad to see Weiss. They set off at a sedate pace, heading downstream. “I wanted to thank you again for taking me out on _Myrtenaster,_ ” Pyrrha said. “It was such a beautiful experience.”

“At least until the second half,” Weiss muttered.

“Weiss, how often does someone like me get to see dolphins out on the water? It was more than worth it.” She paused a moment to look at Weiss. “I did wonder about Salem. I know they’re a business rival of yours, but…worrying about piracy and being attacked at sea seems like a lot.”

Weiss hunched her shoulders a bit in frustration. “I know. Objectively, I know. So far they’ve done nothing more than spend lots of money and chase us around. If I knew what they _wanted_ , or what they were capable of, I’d feel a lot better. As is…”

“Yang said they scared your mom too.”

“That’s another thing. My mother is not quite sane. I’d really like to just write that off as one of her dreams of being the Oracle of Delphi. But…even if she got the story wrong, she likely heard a story about _something_. A secretive organization with lots of financial resources, an area of Patch they won’t let anyone near, and unknown goals and capabilities….” Weiss sighed. “They make me anxious.”

Pyrrha looked at Weiss with a small smile. “You don’t look like a woman who ever gets anxious.”

“Oh, Pyrrha. If you only knew,” Weiss’ mouth said before she could stop herself. She decided not to throw herself in the creek after Pyrrha smiled at her in reassurance, clearly touched.

“You said you had an idea?” Pyrrha prompted gently.

“You know we’ve still got a hundred or so people who lost their homes in the quake and weren’t able to find new housing,” Weiss said. “That’s one bit of real damage Salem is doing right now. They won’t rebuild anything, so people who lost their homes can’t find new places to live. I’ve been trying to help, where I can. I can build some new stuff on my own, but…not enough. The money isn’t there. And I’ve learned the hard way that too many people hear ‘affordable housing’ and think “poor people I don’t like.’ It needs to be a grassroots community effort, not just something the rich girl does on a whim.”

“That makes sense, but…where do I come in? I’d love to contribute but it’s not…”

“No, no, Pyrrha,” Weiss said hastily, “that’s not what I’m asking. I have no illusions about what a woman makes playing pro basketball, even with the sponsorships. What you have is a different gift that all the money in the world can’t buy. People on Patch _love_ you. You’re a heroine. They know your name. They trust you. You’re instantly recognizable, not just on Patch but in Vale and well beyond. If I tried to run a campaign myself to build affordable housing for people displaced by the quake, I’d be laughed out of Signal…but if _you_ were the face of the campaign, with me backing you, everyone would line up to help. I know it.”

They reached the end of the trail, where the trees opened to a view of the sea below. A small waterfall led down over some rocks below them to the shore. A bit of spring sun peeked through the clouds and set the water on fire with light.

“It’s a wonderful idea, Weiss,” Pyrrha said. “I’d like to help. I don’t…” she paused. “I don’t know if I’ve got the same draw I once did. I’m not on a team. My agent is looking around, but…he’s not optimistic.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know if I’ll be playing basketball professionally anymore,” she said, slowly and carefully.

Weiss concealed her shock — not at the revelation, but at Pyrrha’s choice in sharing it. “Pyrrha, I’m honoured by your trust,” she said. “This is the first time you’ve said that out loud, isn’t it.” She wasn’t asking.

“Yes,” Pyrrha admitted.

“It’s hard to believe you don’t have teams lining up to sign you. You’re in stunning shape and still quite young.”

Pyrrha looked out at the sea sadly and said nothing.

“I don’t mean to pry,” said Weiss, almost nervously. “It’s not my business. But…if you need to talk, I’m here. And I know Jaune, Nora and the others would say the same.”

Pyrrha returned her attention to Weiss. “I know. I’m so grateful for all of you, truly. And Weiss…you’ve been a constant surprise since I returned to the island. I always thought of you as an untouchable aristocrat. I never knew you had such a caring streak.” She sighed. “There’s a story. I’ll tell it to you sometime. I trust you. I’m just…I can’t face it yet.” She looked back out at the sea. “Cowardly of me, I know.”

“ _Pyrrha_ ,” Weiss snapped.

“There’s the aristocrat.” Pyrrha smiled.

“I won’t hear you put yourself down. I know you’re going through a huge adjustment. I want to honor that. But…I hope you’ll consider my offer. You could do so much good, just being yourself. Even retired athletes have a powerful voice, and you’d be beloved on Patch if you’d never picked up a ball.”

“I’ll think about it. I promise. Doing some good on the island…it’s an attractive possibility.”

They started to walk back in companionable silence, enjoying the stillness under the trees. The needles from the pine trees created a soft, easy surface to walk on. Lichens hung everywhere from branches, a wealth of green in the dark forest. The water babbled nearby. A couple of crows called to each other.

Weiss’ phone beeped.

“So help me, I’m going to throw that phone in the sea,” Pyrrha half-joked, but she stopped cold at Weiss’ expression. “Weiss. Weiss. Weiss, _what is it?_ ”

“They found my father in the water at Signal Harbor,” Weiss said in a distant voice. Even to her own ears her calm sounded eerie.

“In the water?”

“He was face down.”


End file.
